McNICHOLS® Quality Expanded - Standard Products

McNICHOLS® Standard Expanded Metal diamond-shaped openings have a slightly raised surface unlike the Flattened Expanded Metal patterns. This product comes in a wide variety of opening sizes (long way of the diamond – 3.375 to .345 inches), gauges (thickness of strand), and materials (plain or galvanized steel, aluminum or stainless steel). Sheet size choices typically range from four to eight foot widths and four to ten foot lengths. Others are available by special order.

You may narrow your selection choices by using the left navigation pane or browsing our stock list below.

Expanded Metal is made from sheets of solid metal that are uniformly slit and stretched to create diamond-shaped openings. As expanded metal is made, each row of diamond-shaped openings is offset from the next. This product is called standard expanded metal. The sheet can be rolled to produce flattened expanded metal.

The lightweight properties and open area percentages of Expanded Metal allow it to be easily formed for a variety of energy saving applications, such as light diffusers, screens, grilles and filters. Expanded Metal is also manufactured in heavy gauges for applications such as walkways, ramps and catwalks of all types.

Common, in-stock sheet sizes for Standard Expanded Metal include (second dimension is the LWD, available size varies by material type):

Expanded metal is composed of strands and bonds. Strands form the sides of the expanded metal openings. Bonds are where the strands intersect. In other words, the bond is where each diamond shaped opening is connected with the next opening.

Expanded metal contains open spaces (the diamond-shaped openings) and material. Open area is the total area of the diamond openings divided by the total area of the sheet or roll of expanded metal and is expressed as a percent. In other words, open area describes how much of the expanded metal is open space. If expanded metal has a 60 percent open area, then 60 percent of the expanded metal is open space and 40 percent is material.

Thickness is the measurement from the top surface to bottom surface of the expanded metal piece. Gauge is the most common measurement, but thickness can also be measured in fractional inches or millimeters. This gauges and weights chart can provide additional information.

Bond Shearing- The material is cut on or near the center of the bond eliminating prongs or jagged edges. Bond shearing is only possible if the dimensions fall directly between bonds. If a bond shear is not possible and you want a smooth edge, U-edging can be installed.

Quantity is the number of expanded metal sheets or cut-to-size pieces you need. Unless otherwise specified, the standard tolerance on quantity is Exact Quantity. In other words, McNICHOLS® will deliver the exact quantity you specify.

There are tolerances on quantity, shears(cuts), camber, flatness, squareness , and taper for expanded products. If you do not specify a specific tolerance, the standard tolerance applies. Tolerances can be specified on the perforated round hole pattern quote form.